System and method for electronic correlated sales and advertising

ABSTRACT

A system is disclosed for presenting advertisements for products and related products for a consumer based on the products being purchased.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional application which claims thebenefit to Provisional Application No. 61/692,298 filed Aug. 23, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for electroniccorrelation of sales and advertising.

Description of Related Art

Advertisements are common ways to drive store traffic and increasesales. Further, in store advertisements are common to point out salesand discounted items, encouraging customers to buy the items even ifthey were not planning on it. Similarly, in some situations,advertisements may be displayed near one item to suggest a purchase of acomplimentary item. However, all of these methods of increasing salesfail to target consumers directly based on what they purchase.

Therefore, what is needed is a system that may identify what customersare purchasing and identify complimentary, similar, or competingproducts to present these options to the customer, thereby stimulatingsales.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention provides an advertisementcommunication system providing customized advertisements based on itemsbeing purchased by a customer. In a particular embodiment, the presentinvention is a communication system that may present video, text,pictures and/or audio in either an interactive or non-interactiveformat. The system has a point-of-sale computer with managementsoftware, a USB/PS2 bypass (or other wired/wireless connection)connected to the point-of-sale computer, a bar code reader connectedthrough the USB/PS2 bypass to the point-of-sale computer, an electronicdisplay connected to the bar code reader through the USB/PS2 bypass anda database of product information connected to the electronic display,for example, through a wireless router, a LAN, the internet, or thedatabase may be locally stored on a computer memory. The productinformation in the database includes, for example, bar code data anddata correlating products in the database. When the bar code readerscans a bar code of a first product, data identifying the first productis passed through the USB/PS2 bypass or other connection bus to thecomputer and also to the electronic display. In response to receivingthe data identifying the first product, the electronic display retrievesfrom the database information relating to a second product correlated tothe first product in the database. This retrieved information is thendisplayed by the electronic display.

Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the present inventionare readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply byillustrating a preferable embodiments and implementations. The presentinvention is also capable of other and different embodiments and itsseveral details can be modified in various obvious respects, all withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded asillustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. Additional objects andadvantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the descriptionwhich follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or maybe learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and theadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptionand the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an architecture of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating variations of an electronic display ofa system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a display of a system in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a display of a system in accordance witha preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a table illustrating various aspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a new powerfulinteractive video, advertising and communication system. The systemcontemplated herein stimulates “pulse” or “impulse” purchases byconsumers by inducing a customer to remember and buy products related toan item the consumer already intends to purchase. As such, the systemresults in increased revenue to an establishment using the system. Thesystem recognizes products via the bar codes on the products. Thebarcodes of various products are stored in a remote and centralizeddatabase in order to collect and use sales data and statistics relatingto each product in a particular market, for example, a pharmacy.

As shown in FIG. 1, a system of a preferred embodiment system has apoint-of-sale computer 110 with management software, a USB/PS2 bypass120 connected to the point-of-sale computer 110, a bar code reader 130connected through the USB/PS2 bypass 120 to the point-of-sale computer110, an electronic display 200 connected to the bar code reader 130through the USB/PS2 bypass 120 and a database 140 of product informationconnected to the electronic display. The database may be connected, forexample, through a wireless router or a LAN 140 and the internet. TheUSB/PS2 bypass 120 receives input from the bar code reader 130 andsplits the input signal into two signals, one is communicated to thepoint of sale computer 110, and the other is communicated to theelectronic display 200. The USB/PS2 bypass 120 may be any structurecapable of splitting an input signal into two of the same signalsincluding, but not limited to, a two channel splitter. The database isstored in a storage, hard drive, or memory and is in electroniccommunication with the electronic display and/or point of sale computer.The database may be stored at a location either locally, or remotely tothe point-of-sale. The product information in the database includes, forexample, bar code data and data correlating products in the database.

When the bar code reader 130 scans a bar code of a first product, dataidentifying the first product is passed through the USB/PS2 bypass 120or other connection bus to the computer 110 and to the electronicdisplay 200. In response to receiving the data identifying the firstproduct, the electronic display 200 retrieves from the database 140information relating to a second product correlated to the first productin the database 140. The electronic display 200 displays the informationrelating to the second product to the user to encourage purchase by theuser. The display 200 being visible to a purchaser.

In another embodiment, the USB/PS2 bypass 120 may be eliminated byproviding the display 200 in direct communication with the point of salecomputer 110, and connecting the database 140 of product informationdirectly to the point of sale computer 110. In this embodiment, the barcode scanned by the bar code reader 130 is processed by the point ofsale computer 110 in communication with the database 140. The point ofsale computer 110 retrieves information from the database 140 relatingto products correlated to the first product. The point of sale computer110 then provides a signal to the display 200 to display the informationrelating to the second product to the user to encourage purchase by theuser. The display 200 being visible to a purchaser.

The electronic display 200 may be any computerized display, such as asmart display having a processor and memory or other storage means, or acomputer monitor receiving a signal from a computer connected to it.Examples of the electronic display 200 may be a tablet computer such asan iPad®, Kindle® Fire®, Nook® Color, Samsung® Galaxy® Note® or Tab®,and the like, as well as a computer monitor, a laptop, a smart phone, ormobile computing device, among others.

The display 200, shown in FIGS. 2-4, may be, for example, a 10-inch flatscreen tablet display. As shown in FIG. 2, the display may lay flat on acounter, at an angle or perpendicular to a counter, or may be mounted ina vertical manner by conventional means.

The display may be divided, either physically, or more likely, using asoftware based controller to divide a single screen. The division maybe, for example, into a plurality of sections, slots or windows 202, 204and 206 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. One window may display, for example,products that commonly are or may be purchased together with the productbeing purchased. For example, in the pharmaceutical market when insulinin scanned for purchase, information relating to syringe may bedisplayed. If an antibiotic is scanned for purchase, a pro-biotic may beshown. Another window may display alternative products, such as similarproducts from different brands or the same brand in a different format,such as a syrup as an alternative to a pill. In another embodiment, awindow or slot may display products that are correlated by family, suchas products with similar functions or purpose. For example, informationof a hair removal machine being displayed when a hair removal cream isscanned for purchase. Additionally, slots or windows in the displaycould be used for paid advertising. FIG. 5 is a table illustrating anexample of advertising revenue generated by selling advertising time inthe various slots or windows on a percentage basis. In the table in FIG.5, the pricing for each product is influenced by the product (A,B,C, . .. ), the number of stores associated with the service and the number ofproducts.

In another embodiment, the electronic display may display useful orimportant information relating to a product being purchased. Forexample, if the product is a drug that cannot be used with other drugsor may cause complications with them, this information may be providedto the electronic display. In another example, product warnings orallergy information may be provided. This information related to theproduct may be displayed in addition to or instead of an advertisementor information relating to a second product.

The product correlation data in the database may be provided by aproducer or distributor of products, by the store operator advertiser,or the like. Further, the correlation data may be developed throughanalysis of prior sales, either through store gathered data, or fromlarge scale data gathering services and data warehouses. Moreover, thecorrelations may be entered, for example, by a distributor through aweb-based user interface.

When a customer purchases an item, a barcode on the item is scanned. Thescanned bar code data is passed from the bar code reader to thepoint-of-sale computer and to the electronic display through the USB/PS2bypass. Using the received bar code data, the electronic display, orpoint of sale computer, or processor in communication with the displayretrieves correlation data associated with received bar code data anddisplays information of other products related to the product beingpurchased.

Additionally, data relating to sales of additional products through useof the display, i.e., additional items sold with the original item beingpurchase after information of the additional items has been shown on thedisplay, may be collected and analyzed over time.

In still yet another embodiment, the system may further comprise a useridentification source such as a card, barcode, ID number, or the like.In this embodiment, the identification source may be scanned duringcheckout, either before other items are scanned or after. By scanningthe identification source, the database may receive the scannedinformation and provide output information to the electronic displaybased on customer's history. This information may include reminders forrecent purchases to re-purchase, notifications, suggested products forpurchase, targeted advertisement, and the like.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the preciseform disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in lightof the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of theinvention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to explainthe principles of the invention and its practical application to enableone skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodimentsas are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended thatthe scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, andtheir equivalents. The entirety of each of the aforementioned documentsis incorporated by reference herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A product identification and display systemcomprising: a point of sale computer; a universal serial bus/personalsystem/2 bypass connected to the point of sale computer configured tosplit a data output from a bar code reader connected through theuniversal serial bus/personal system/2 bypass to the point-of-salecomputer, the splitting of the data output splitting the data outputfrom the bar code reader into two identical signals, a first of the twoidentical signals going to the point of sale computer; an electronicdisplay comprising a computer processor, connected through the universalserial bus/personal system/2 bypass to the bar code reader, a second ofthe two identical signals from the universal serial bus/personalsystem/2 bypass going to the electronic display, the electronic displaybeing isolated from communication with the point of sale computer; adatabase comprising product information, data correlating products inthe database, and visual representations of product warning information,the database in electronic communication with the electronic display,and isolated from communication with the point of sale computer; amemory connected to the computer processor of the electronic display,the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor,causes the processor to: identify, using the data collected by thebarcode reader, at least one product; retrieve, from the database,information relating to a second product correlated to the firstproduct, the computer processor of the electronic display operable tocause the electronic display to present the information relating to thesecond product on the electronic display, so as to dynamically presentcustomized information to a customer based on the first product,allowing customized advertising directed to the customer presented onthe electronic display; and retrieve, from the database, a productwarning information relating to the first product and operable to causethe electronic display to present the product warning information on theelectronic display, so as to dynamically present customized productwarning information to the customer based on the first product, allowingcustomized information to be directed to the customer presented on theelectronic display; the system being operable without a modification ofthe point of sale computer by the isolation of the electronic displayand the database from the point of sale computer, thereby allowing thecheckout and point of sale system to be operable on an existing point ofsale computer without modification of the existing point of salecomputer.
 2. A pharmacy comprising the identification system of claim 1.3. The product identification and display system of claim 1 wherein thesystem is a pharmacy product identification and display system.
 4. Thepharmacy product identification and display system of claim 3 whereinthe computer processor of the electronic display is further operable to:detect a user within a pharmacy using data collected by a barcode readerin the pharmacy; and associate the at least one product with the user inthe database.
 5. The pharmacy product identification and display systemof claim 4 wherein the computer processor of the electronic display isfurther operable to: determine, using the data collected by the bar codescanner, that the user has purchased the at least one item from thepharmacy; and update the database with the determined purchase data, thecomputer processor of the electronic display configured to transmit thepurchase data regarding each product sold to the database.
 6. Thepharmacy product identification and display system of claim 3 whereinthe database is accessible by at least one of a producer, distributor,or store operator, wherein the data correlating products in the databaseis enterable by the at least one of the producer, distributor, or storeoperator, via an input to a networked computerized user interfaceseparate from the electronic display.
 7. The pharmacy productidentification and display system of claim 3 wherein the computerprocessor of the electronic display is operable to present theinformation relating to the second product on the electronic display ina first window portion of the electronic display.
 8. The pharmacyproduct identification and display system of claim 7 wherein thecomputer processor of the electronic display is operable to present theproduct warning information in a second window portion of the electronicdisplay which is visually separated from the first window.